Air lockers front and rear?>

Anybody run an ARB air locker on the front and rear? Can it be done with a center locked on a limited? Anybody gone full lockers from ARB? Any negatives? HOw is lifespan of these lockers? Do you need to service them? Stupid question do you need a coalescing filter on your compressed air to keep moisture/dirt out of locker from compressor cylinders?

Thanks for any info on this.. I got a twin ARb and it came with these two solenoids..which have me wondering!

 

Yes you can run them on a full time 4wd model. It doesn't affect the center diff.

I have heard about air leaks with them. A buddy worked for Dynatrac axles and they always had issues with leaky ARB lockers.

 

I went with an Eaton in the rear of my SR5 for that reason. My local 4X shop is an ARB installer and they have a lot of experience with them coming back with issues.

 

My 4x4shop friend was against my idea of having front lockers. he wasn't confident about things like tie rods, etc.

But the idea of having eton elocker in front still in my brain. I also purchased a small buzzer with LED to remind me if I enable front locker. So I will not forget to turn off.
Factory rear locker has some idiot proofing as it only available in 4L and you get a red dash warning. Aftermarket won't have any of that.

I don't know if eton still have the issue if you roll back the locker disengages and you need to engage again. Not a biggie if it still exists.

I don't think I can wrap my head around having ARB lockers to have all those stuff installed and having 2 separate buttons first to run the compressor and then run the locker. I like my dash to look OEM and right now my dash switches are full. I purchased a split switch to split my aftermarket front camera switch split as front camera + front locker.

 

I'd stick with Eaton.

I have lot's of buddies running Eaton E lockers or ARB air lockers. The Eaton stuff is A LOT more reliable ime.

 

I'd go that route if I ever needed a front locker. Really wish I could add an Auburn ECTED out back. It's a limited slip until locked.

 

Yes this is my thought as well. IFS doesn’t tolerate the stresses of a locked differential as well as a solid axle.

 

I personally think that in the front of a 4R you don't need a locker. Just go with the poor man's version of it. Atrac ON, and 4Lo and you are done. With the rear locked of course. I have gotten Lucky with this a few times.
I was at the arb store in AUS playing with their demo and the manager goes: why dont you get a pussytrac...and I was like, but it was more like a positrac. that aussie accent got me for a little while.

 

Apologies. Could someone please explain what a locker does and when you would use it? Appreciate it

 

Ok heres the pants on head question of the day.

Does the Eaton use air actuation? Is it engagement easier or harsher than the arb? I assume the arb leakes at the main purge seals? How hard are these units to install by yourself? are we talking tough? Or doable? Any special tools involved or take it to a shop?

Lastly if Eaton is the way to go for the rear, whats best place to buy them and whats best part number not sure if they have different setups. No experience with Eaton lockers, just their very nice Superchargers and stuff.

Guys thanks for the help on this, hadnt factored Eaton at all. Truck will see mostly mud, slop, swamp and gravel. I dont plan to rock crawl.

Anything else needed along with the Eaton install to beef up any other parts or just go as is?

Thanks for the help on this.. Its a part I want to buy once..and forget about it.

What you guys say about the front makes sense, I was only thinking of recreating a poor mans G wagon.. hehe

 

I believe Eaton are electronic.

 

They lock both sides of the differential together so that both tires will spin, whether or not they both have traction. They're super handy in technical spots, where one tire has traction and the other doesn't.

Without a locker, or someone's sort of traction control, you're basically stuck if one wheel on each axle loses traction.

 

Buy once, cry once, then id put a straight axle in. Or buy a different rig to go play in the slop.

 

Install it and just enjoy having it there.

 

I had ARB air lockers installed front and rear in my 2007 Econoline van (4x4 conversion) in 2008, so 17 years ago. Never had an air leak, and they work just as well today as they did 17 years ago.

 

What would Ronny Dahl go with;

https://youtube.com/shorts/o8_M9td6Tng?si=pDVP-aS7TlM9NAEe

 

It is usually cheaper to find a scrapped 4runner with the stock rear e-locker and use that than to buy an ARB one. The e-lockers are normally much less expensive than the air ones, and I don't think it's worth the price difference just so you can get an air one which will engage immediately in any orientation. But the instantaneous engagement is why air lockers are considered superior.

I'd rather save money and weight and go with the electronic one, and get a portable air compressor than make extensive, expensive, weight adding extensions to my vehicle I still need to commute in. Electronic ones are also less intrusive than the cable lockers.

If you're off roading enough that an air locker makes sense, I would deal with the IFS first because having that will cause you more issues than not having a front locker.

 

That's bad-ass!

 

TY. Appreciate that

 

So what I'm hearing is: If I'm off roading and I get into a situation where the right side (or left, either or) wheels on the driver and passenger are up in the air. Say I'm leaning hard to one side...

But if both wheels are up in the air, my left side tires will still spin and give me traction so I get out of the rut I'm stick in.

Correct?

 

Basically a locker guarantees power to both wheels on the same axle. Normally in an open diff the power will go to the wheel with the least resistance (less or no traction). A wheel in the air with an open diff will get all the power.

 

Yeah, as long as one side has traction you have a chance.

 

In those cases there is a not-insignificant chance the front CV axle on the side with traction can snap if it is stuck more than just mud or sand, but wedged in front and rear.

Don't ask me how I know. LOL

 

I have an LE with ARBs, no issues in 3 years of operation. I will say that every air locker issue I’ve seen could be traced to the the installer. I went with ECGS since they probably have more experience with it than anyone. Get your 4.88 installed at the same time

 

I don't think it matters if two wheels that are in the air are on the right side, left side, or one on each side. What matters is if a wheel on both the front and rear axle is in the air (or in an icy/muddy rut), and you have open diffs, all the power in both the front and rear will go to the wheel with zero/near zero traction. If you have ATRAC - shift into 4LO and activate ATRAC and you will likely crawl out without a rear/front locker. However, if you are crawling up a dry creek bed full of boulders, and you frequently get in situations where you have multiple wheels in the air - using ATRAC for an extended period of time will likely overheat the brakes and ATRAC will shut down. In a situation like this a locker is the way.

 

Haha!

I've heard speculation that this type of thing is probably why Toyota doesn't tend to offer front lockers.

 

Aside from the situation you mentioned earlier, I've been in situations in rocks mostly where the tires on opposite corners will lose traction. This is another situation where lockers, or A-TRAC are super beneficial.

 

Oh if I had $1 for every time I said….Dont ask me how I know, I’d be retired

 

That's the meaning of life for most people: we live, we learn, and we move onto another plane of existence before we get rich from our experience.